The New England Patriots bolstered their receiving corps this week by signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal. However, according to several reports, New England is still on the prowl for another major upgrade on offense this offseason—namely, securing All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, this would have to happen for the right price.

Pairing an elite talent like Brown with a quarterback such as Drake Maye would elevate an already explosive New England offense for years to come. Brown also brings plenty of experience playing under Mike Vrabel, having spent time together on the Tennessee Titans.

Despite the Patriots being a logical landing spot for the disgruntled wide receiver, the Eagles reportedly remain unwilling to move their star unless a team meets their high asking price. On Monday, longtime NFL insider Josina Anderson reported on X that the Eagles are asking for a 2027 first-round pick along with a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Brown.

If New England chooses to play the waiting game, could Philadelphia and GM Howie Roseman eventually lower that price?

Appearing on NBC Sports Boston’s “Early Edition” on Wednesday, reporter Mike Giardi shared insights from league sources:
“Who knows if this is a game of telephone. But talking to people who work in the league, they all believe A.J. Brown will end up in New England. This probably takes a little while. You’ve got the runway here. But to me, now that you have Doubs? It’s less of an ‘Oh, you’ve got to give us a [first-round pick] and [second-round pick].’ [The Patriots say], ‘No, we have a good player who we think can be a No. 1 [receiver]. How about a [second-round pick] and [fourth-round pick]? I think this is eventually going to get done.’”

The timing of the trade could also impact the cost for the Eagles. If Philadelphia trades Brown before June 1, they would incur over $43 million in dead cap money this season. However, if the trade occurs after June 1, the dead cap hit would decrease to $16.4 million while freeing up $7 million in cap space.

So, as long as the Patriots are willing to be patient with the Eagles, New England might be able to add one of the NFL’s top wide receivers without surrendering a coveted first-round pick.

Speaking on Thursday, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf acknowledged that New England is keeping all options open this offseason—even if some potential moves might not be feasible until later in the summer.

“We’ll explore anything that we think can help the team,” Wolf said regarding the team’s interest in Brown. “I think the only real deadlines you have are, sort of maybe salary cap related. If, for instance, we did spend money in free agency that would take us out of something else? But, I wouldn’t say that there’s a deadline on trying to improve the team.”
https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2026/03/12/new-england-patriots-a-j-brown-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-football-trade-rumors/